Welcome to the GAPA Blog
Bitesize arts activism in one handy blog – news, reviews and interviews from the GAPA microcosm and beyond
The African Poet Patriot in Nsah Mala – Unpacking CONSTIMOCRAZY: Malafricanising Democracy
Reviewed by Mbizo Chirasha CONSTIMOCRAZY is a story of Africa weaved by an African poet patriot, a slinger wielding the spear, his pen, against treachery perpetrated by history and its cruelty. The same pen wielder rebukes Africa for frying its… Continue Reading
GAPA meets… Mbizo Chirasha
This month GAPA is especially proud to speak to Mbizo Chirasha – an acclaimed poet from Zimbabwe who focuses his work on human rights, and holds a secure place in the African arts scene. Mbizo is an exiled Zimbabwéan performance poet,… Continue Reading
Basquiat at the Barbican: the enduring magnetism of an art icon
By Jess Zurcher Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Untitled (1982). Photograph: Jean-Michel Basquiat/Barbican One of the year’s most hyped exhibitions “Boom For Real”, a Jean-Michel Basquiat retrospective, has just opened at the Barbican. The show is the first of its kind in the… Continue Reading
Queercircle: the group of LGBTQIA+ young Londoners promoting inclusivity in queer contemporary arts.
By Jess Zurcher Photograph from exhibition ‘Looking for Langston’ by Isaac Julien at The Vinyl Factory July 2017. Queercircle The group of LGBTQIA+ young Londoners promoting inclusivity in queer contemporary arts. There’s a grass roots, raw energy to Queercircle events. It’s… Continue Reading
Audio we love: podcast recommendations of the month
Under the Skin – Interview with Yanis Varoufakis Comedian and vocal social critic Russell Brand interviews former Greek Minister of Finance Yanis Varoufakis in his podcast Under the Skin. Varoufakis and Brand bounce ideas off each other about transcendence, alienation,… Continue Reading
Hip-Hop Feminism rising in Latin America
Rebeca Lane, Guatemala [1] By Kirsty Flockhart “Tengo millones de huevos en cada ovario / No me hace más mujer ni a vos te hace menos macho” (I’ve got millions of eggs in each ovary / it doesn’t make me more… Continue Reading
A note on “weltschmerz” and staying optimistic in a painful world
By Florian Pock First things first: this is a very personal post and therefore isn’t scientific at all (as I am not a scientist myself). But what could be more political and artistic than to express yourself? I want to… Continue Reading
Audio we love: podcast recommendations of the month
Every month, Executive Committee member Sadie rounds up some of the best podcasts she’s heard. Got a suggestion? Email us at sadie[at]ga-pa.org. The Scene – How Artists Can Be Activists How can artists be activists? This is a question we’re very familiar… Continue Reading
In the Name of Art and Politics: What I Learned from Publishing an Art Catalogue on Lebanese aboard the Titanic
By Jasmin Lilian Diab, Head of Think Tank at GAPA This May, 2017, I, along with co-editors Dr. Guita Hourani and Mr. Mario Najm, published the first ever art catalogue on the Lebanese aboard the Titanic. The catalogue featured a… Continue Reading
Venice Biennale 57: what can you expect to see this year?
By Alex Zagrebelnaia Since 1895 when the Venice Biennale was launched, individual countries have showcased their best artists in national pavilions or have organised side projects. Pavilions are normally financed by the ministries of culture, Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Private… Continue Reading